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Topic Review (Newest First)

10-09-2011 12:33 AM

GypsyR

Guess you could try it and see. I've heard the same thing about Fox Mustangs. We have an '86 with the grill opening that somewhat resembles what you cut out of your bumper. I rather thought the "must have airdam" thing applied only to the 87+ cars where Ford about sealed off the front. So at some point during car work I was driving around with the dam off. Temps stayed higher than normal. New radiator and electric fan brought it down tolerably well but putting the stock dam back on is what immediately brought operating temps back into line. The stock one isn't even that much to look at, just a long plastic flap. The Mustang guys claim I can get even better flow by fitting the longer wrap-around style dam from a Ranger pickup. I'm not doubting them this time, I got one. It will be a pain to custom mount I'm sure but it's on my to-do list as a worthy upgrade.

10-07-2011 08:55 PM

lowROLLERchevy

The lower rad support was rebuilt from scratch and isnt in the stock location anymore, so if i want to install an airdamn in the "stock" location i have to make one, and then make some panels for it to attach to also.

Its just something I'm not planning on doing unless there is a need for it.

10-07-2011 02:08 PM

malc

I really donīt see the problem, why should the airdam be trashed ?
Itīs not a hindrance or ugly, itīs out of sight doing itīs job.
The coolers can stay and so should the airdam, those coolers will get fresh air too.
That large hole youīve made should have some kind of mesh grill or all kinds of critters will be getting in there.

Tech...I remember Bill Thomas Race Cars, he was a smart cookie. I think he was one of the first to install a 427 BBC in a 63 Chevy II with an altered wheel base. If my feeble old mind is functioning I think they also built a Chevy V8 f/glass sports car called the Cheetah.

10-06-2011 11:59 AM

oldbogie

The air dam is there to create a low pressure area below the engine compartment. This increases flow air through the radiator which increases cooling without having to resort to a larger radiator.

The loss of the air dam will increase pressure inside the engine compartment which will reduce air flow through the radiator, at high speed the engine may well overheat.

Air doesn't necessarily escape anyway possible, it can be quite happy stagnating. As ride height lowers and body shapes become more streamlined, and engine compartments more crowded getting air to flow where its needed gets to be a more complex and difficult problem. The designers of these things aren't guessing about flows, these vehicles get a lot of computational fluid dynamics run through the computer and a lot of real time flow instrumented in the wind tunnel. Of course one of the big goals they have is adequate cooling with minimum aero drag as this costs fuel against trying for maximum CAFE standards, so the factory solutions are looking at that as well so you may end up with adequate cooling against increased drag, for the average guy the drag is probably not a concern if they could even measure it.

Whether your set up will work, I don't know, just expect the unexpected.

Bogie

10-05-2011 01:07 PM

techinspector1

Years ago, a fellow named Bill Thomas was modifying and racing Corvairs. They removed the sheet metal under the motor to remove some weight from the car and the motor began overheating. They found that without the panel, air coming from the front of the car made a 90 degree turn up into the motor while the fan was trying to blow air downward through the motor. Result: stagnation of air and no cooling going on. As soon as they re-installed the panel, the motor ran at its usual temp.

10-05-2011 09:24 AM

boatbob2

Air Dam......

I was 90 miles from home,at nite,when the fan on my FIREBIRD took a dump,i drove home,without overheating,because i had the air dam,very important to have that air dam....

10-05-2011 06:53 AM

malc

If you run a third gen Camaro without the airdam in itīs proper place there will be cooling issues.

10-05-2011 05:26 AM

cobalt327

I'm no fluid dynamicist or whatever, but it seems that because air moves from a higher pressure area to a lower pressure area, it depends on whether the pressure is higher above the coolers or below them. Once that is determined, run the fans in the direction that will enhance airflow through the coolers.

One way to assure the pressure is lower under the coolers would be to use an air dam of some sort. This would tend to rob the intercooler and radiator of some flow, but I seriously doubt an air dam would be so efficient that it would cause them to be starved for flow, especially if thought was given to the size and shape of it.

10-05-2011 04:56 AM

malc

It looks like a good idea, I was toying with installing my trans cooler the same way, but Iīd say you need that airdam, as I understood it, it causes a vacuum behind it and causes air to be sucked up through the radiator.
I made mine as deep as possible.
You could still mount those coolers in front of the rad/intercooler, as they are they block the upward flow of air, which in your case would be minimal sans airdam.
I was wondering how much does go into the front of the car, I just have the two openings.
Do you have a temp gauges for your oil and trans ?

Why donīt you try it airdam on - airdam off, you wonīt know until you run the car ?

10-05-2011 02:07 AM

lowROLLERchevy

Being told my radiator / oil cooler setup wont flow properly ...

what do you guys think ?

radiator in the normal spot. Intercooler in front of it. 2 oil coolers laying flat
in front of them, Stock air damn chucked in the trash. car converted from
"bottom feed" to "front feed" by cutting a fat hole where the plate used to
mount and chucking the fogs next to the airdamn (and the stock radiator
ducting for that matter too)

i dont see the problem? big hole catches air while driving forward. air
escapes any way possible. Takes heat with it.

agree / disagree ?

I was told:

Quote:

airflow would go downward through those coolers only if you put an airdamn at the leading edge of the bumper so no air can get under it...

I agree that an air damn would HELP flow, but not having one isnt going to cut off flow for some magical reason.